Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
9-8, 5-1MAC
Akron
14-3, 4-2MAC
Fontaine Scores 25 In 77-73 MAC Road Win At Akron
January 22, 2015 | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - The Ball State women's basketball team handed Mid-American Conference East Division leader Akron its first home loss of the season with the Cardinals 77-73 win Wednesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.
"It was clearly a big bounce back win for us and to do it against a quality opponent," Ball State head women's basketball coach Brady Sallee said. "Any road win in league play is monumental. Hopefullay we can build on it and see where this can take us."
With the win Ball State improves its overall record to 9-8 and to 5-1 in league action while Akron falls to 14-3 and 4-2 in the MAC.
In a game where the lead changed five times and the score was tied eight times, Nathalie Fontaine's 25 points lifted the Cardinals past Akron. Shelby Merder scored a career-best 14-points off of 5-of-6 shooting from the field while teammate Jill Morrison capped the night off with an 11-point performance after going 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
The Cardinals carried their first half momentum into the second half with its largest cushion being eight (43-35) at the 16:41 mark. Akron then answered with a 26-17 run to make the score 61-60 with 6:17 remaining in the game.
After that, both teams traded baskets but Ball State regained control with 1:55 left after a layup and a key three-point basket from Candyce Ussery to put the Cardinals back up by 4 (74-70). The Cardinals strong defense to close out the contest was too much for the Zips. Akron was forced to foul in their last efforts to win the ball game but Ball State was able to knock down its free throws securing the victory.
Akron had sprinted out to a 13-5 advantage over Ball State in the first seven minutes of the ball game. Morrison would answer with back-to-back three-point baskets to bring the Cardinals within two (13-11) with 12:50 remaining in the half. The Zips continued to run the floor going back up by eight (21-13) with 10:30 on the clock but Ball State would then put together a 24-12 run that would give the Cardinals the 37-33 halftime lead over Akron. Over the course of Ball State's 10-minute scoring spree, Fontaine scored 11 of her 13 first half points.
The Cardinals bench out-scored the Zips 27-0. Ball State also shot 48.3 percent while holding Akron to 44.1 percent from the floor.
Ball State will return to action Saturday when the Cardinals play host to a men's-women's doubleheader in Worthen Arena. The women will play Ohio at 4:30 p.m. following the men's game against Kent State at 2:00 p.m.
